Container and system for constraining and paying out coiled steel rule or the like

ABSTRACT

A container for a coil of steel rule and a roller apparatus are disclosed. The container is square, and the sides are arranged so as to restrain steel rule coil in its coiled configuration and to resist rule coil unwinding forces. The roller apparatus engages the coil through apertures in the box bottom. One set of rollers directly supports the wake of the coil, and another set of rollers resists rule coil unwinding forces.

This application claims domestic priority from provisional U.S.Application Ser. No. 60/550,560, filed on Mar. 5, 2004.

The manufacture of cardboard boxes traditionally involves thepreliminary manufacturer of a cardboard sheet or blank, and thesubsequent cutting of that blank to a particular desired shape. Theblank is then folded and assembled into the completed box structure.This folding and assembly can occur at the box factory or it can beaccomplished at the point where the box is to be filled and used.

Cutting the cardboard box blank into the requisite shape istraditionally accomplished by hardened steel workpieces, such as cuttingrules or knife blades. These cutting rules can have complex shapes so asto properly shape the box blank handle cutouts, flaps and other boxfeatures.

The manufacture of a box cutting rule is often accomplished by bendingand forming a length of steel rule. Machines such as benders, notchers,cutters, miter machines, and die making accessories are used to form thelength of steel rule into a slicing implement which will provide a boxblank of a desired shape.

The steel rule which is to be made into the box cutter is usuallyprovided to the cutter manufacturer in coiled form. The coiled rule ispulled or drawn off into the various bending, notching and othermachinery for formation into the final-shaped cutter.

When in its coiled configuration, the steel rule has considerableexpansive force. If left unconstrained, the nested coils will tend tofly apart from one another into a straightened configuration; this coilexpansion can occur with almost explosive force and velocity. Injury topersons handling the steel rule coil can occur. Accordingly, to preventthese injuries and to prevent tangling or damage to the steel ruleitself, the coils are usually constrained by binding straps whichencircled the coil or by placing the steel rule coils in boxes or othercontainers which are shaped to closely surround and restrain the steelrule coils.

But when the steel coil is to be fed into a bending or other machine formanufacture into the finished cutter, the binding straps must be removedfrom the coil, on the box must be opened and the coil mounted upon aspool, or the coil must be otherwise freed from its constraints. Injuryto personnel or damage to the coil can occur as the coil is freed fromits constraints.

It is accordingly a general object of the invention to provide acontainer and system for safely and inexpensively constraining,transporting, handling and paying out a coil of material such as steelrule which has a substantial radially directed expansion unwinding forceinherent within it.

It is another object of the invention to provide a container whichcompletely encloses a coil of steel rule or the like but which can bepartially opened to permit the steel rule to be directly mounted onrollers or like supports to permit the rule to be progressively drawnout of the container without freeing the material still within thecontainer from its constraints.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide an inexpensive yeteffective mounting and draw-off or payout system for a coil of steelrule or the like which will prevent the coil from flying apart.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the following detailed description and upon reference to thedrawings. Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to likeparts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of a box adapted to contain a coil of steelrule or like material.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the box shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the box withcertain cutout material removed and configured to have the containedsteel rule drawn from it.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing, in schematic form, the box, thecontained coil of steel rule material, and a roller support system forsupporting, constraining and guiding the steel rule as it is drawn fromthe box.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view showing the box in its open configuration andshowing in further detail the rollers located below and partially withinthe bottom of the box and the steel rule coil as the coil appears whenit is located within the box and supported and constraining by therollers.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the box as it appears when it is mountedatop the roller system.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the roller system.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially in the planeof line 8-8 in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the invention will be described in connection with a preferredembodiment and procedure, it will be understood that it is not intendedto limit the invention to this embodiment and procedure. On thecontrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications andequivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

Turning first to FIGS. 1-5, there is shown a coil 10 of steel rule 11that is enclosed and constrained within a novel container box 20. It isa characteristic of the steel rule 11 that the rule 11 has a crosssection shape and is otherwise formed so that it exerts considerableradial expansion force upon itself and upon adjacent objects; and ittends to spring into a straight, unwound configuration. To counteractthis force and to retain the coil in its wound configuration asillustrated in FIG. 4, the container 20 has an opposed top 21 and bottom22 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Four opposed sides 23, 24, 25 and 26 (FIG.5) of equal length extend between the top 21 and the bottom 22 so as toform the box 20, which is of substantially square shape. The sides 23-26separate the top 21 and bottom 22 from one another with a containerinterior depth only slightly greater than the width or thickness of therestrained steel rule 11. When the box is so sized and shaped, nointerior strapping around the coil 10 is required and yet the container20 resists the rule coil 10 radial expansion unwinding force, inaccordance with the invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, exteriorstrapping 18 can be provided, if desired, to secure the box in a closedconfiguration for shipment. A slit or opening 19 is provided at onecorner of the box 20 to permit the rule 11 to be drawn from the box andinto a bending or other machine (not shown) for fabrication of thecutter. In carrying out the invention, the container is formed of anysuitable material such as paperboard, preferably corrugated paper, whichis selected to be strong enough to resist the coil radial expansionunwinding force.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the bottom 22 of thecontainer 20 is formed with scores or perforations 27 so that bottommaterial 28 can be removed and thus define one or more openings 29 topermit rollers to selectively engage the coil 10 within the container20, suggested particularly in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

In further accordance with the invention, a roller assembly 30 isprovided to support the coil 10 and further constrain it againstunwinding as the rule 11 is drawn out of the box 20. In the embodimentillustrated here, this roller assembly 30 takes the form of four rollersubassemblies 31. Each subassembly has a roller 33 positioned to haveits axis in a first. Here that plane is horizontal, but the rollerassembly could be oriented vertically or in any other position. Theserollers are sized, are mounted upon journals 34, and are positioned sothat the upper surface of each roller 33 extends into the interior ofthe box 20 through an opening 29. Each roller 33 engages the coil 10 soas to support the weight of the coil and slightly lift the coil 10 awayfrom engagement with the box bottom 22, as suggested particularly inFIG. 8.

To inhibit radial expansion of the coil 10 in accordance with theinvention, the roller apparatus also includes rollers 36 having theiraxes oriented in planes which are perpendicular to the plane of the axesof the rollers 33. These rollers 36 are positioned to extend into thebox through the openings 29 and are positioned to engage the outermostwinding of the coil 10.

This roller assembly 30 can be mounted upon any suitable substructuresuch as a plate 40. To inhibit the box 20 from rotating about the rollerassemblies 30 and the mounting plate 40, the mounting plate 40 can beprovided with box-engaging angles or corner extension members 42, assuggested in FIGS. 6 and 7.

1. A container for a coil of steel rule, the rule having substantialintrinsic unwinding force, the container having opposed sides ofsubstantially square shape in length and width and a plurality of endsconnected between the sides to provide a container interior depth onlyslightly greater than the width of the contained steel rule so as torestrain the steel rule coil in its coiled configuration, the containerbeing constructed so as to resist the rule coil unwinding force, atleast one side of the container being formed to so as to permit sidematerial of a predefined shape and size to be removed to define anopening in the side to permit rollers to selectively engage the steelrule within the container.
 2. A container according to claim 1 whereinsaid container is formed of paperboard.
 3. A container according toclaim 2 wherein said container is formed of corrugated paper.
 4. Aroller apparatus for the removal of a coil of steel rule from acontainer, the steel rule having substantial intrinsic radial expansionunwinding force, the roller apparatus having at least one first rollerhaving an axis in a first plane and at least one second roller having anaxis in a second plane substantially perpendicular to said first plane,one of the rollers being adapted to support the weight of the coil andanother of the rollers being adapted to inhibit radial expansion of thecoil.
 5. A roller apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said rollerapparatus comprises two rollers in a first plane and one roller in asecond plane.
 6. A method for removing a coil of steel rule from acontainer, the steel rule having substantial intrinsic radial expansionunwinding force, comprising, in combination, storing the coil of steelrule in a container having opposed sides of substantially square shapeand a plurality of ends connected to the sides to provide a containerinterior depth only slightly greater than the width of the containedsteel rule so as to restrain the steel rule coil in its coiledconfiguration, the container being constructed so as to resist the rulecoil radial expansion unwinding force, wherein at least one side of thecontainer is formed to define an opening on the side to permit a rollerapparatus to selectively engage the steel rule within the container,engaging the steel rule coil within the container by a roller apparatusthrough said container side opening, the roller apparatus including atleast one roller being adapted to support the weight of the coil and atleast another roller being adapted to inhibit radial expansion of thecoil.
 7. The combination of a container and a roller apparatus forunwinding a coil of steel rule, the rule having substantial intrinsicradial expansion unwinding force, the container having opposed sides ofsubstantially square shape and a plurality of ends connected to thesides to provide a container interior depth only slightly greater thanthe width of the contained steel rule so as to restrain the steel rulecoil in its coiled configuration, the container being constructed so asto resist the rule coil radial expansion unwinding force, and at leastone side of the container being formed to so as to permit side materialof a predefined shape and size to be removed so as to define an openingon the side to permit a roller apparatus to engage the rule coil, theroller apparatus having at least a first roller in a first plane and atleast a second roller in a second plane substantially perpendicular tosaid first plane, the rollers being arranged and adapted to engage therule coil.
 8. A container according to claim 7 wherein said container isformed of paperboard.
 9. A container according to claim 7 wherein saidcontainer is formed of corrugated paper.
 10. A container according toclaim 7 wherein said roller apparatus comprises two rollers in the firstplane and one roller in the second plane substantially perpendicular tosaid first plane.
 11. A container according to claim 10 wherein thecontainer comprises a plurality of openings radially located on saidside.